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Ryan at Devil's TowerWednesday, May 14, 2014

Share in the Adventure!

To see and feel real earth science processes beyond the classroom walls.

To experience how geology has affected our human history and culture.

To interact with friends and new people from new places and cultures.

To develop an appreciation and better understanding of others.

Trip Overview

The South Dakota Field Investigations trip is in its 11th year.
This adventure takes students beyond the doors of the school, to
observe and feel real Earth processes that are not visible in the
classroom or immediate area. The emphasis throughout is on careful
observation. Students use these observations to then develop
scientific questions and/or to further investigate natural phenomena
by collecting data. Fairly extensive investigations are developed at
Door Trail in the Badlands and on the grounds of Wind Cave National
Park. Throughout the trip, students use observations, data and
questions to put together the formation stories of the places that
they visit: Pipestone National Monument, Devils Gulch, The Badlands,
Black Hills Formation, Wind Cave, and Devils Tower. Excursions to the
wind turbines at Lake Benton, MN and the Black Hills Geology
Institute further illustrate the complexities and interconnectedness
of Earth and its inhabitants throughout time.

Background

In the summer of 2001, science teacher, Marlene Schoeneck participated in the TIMES (Teaching Inquiry-based Minnesota Earth Science) Project, a venture of the Science Museum of Minnesota, and hosted at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
The purpose of the course was to infuse more inquiry-based
field investigations into earth science. Instructors for this
class were Lee Schmitt, director of teacher programs at the
Science Museum, and Dr. Peter Whelan, geology professor at the
University of Minnesota, Morris. Peter went on to join
Marlene on several day-long field experiences with her 8th
grade students. In Fall 2002, Peter proposed a week-long
series of investigations through the Badlands and Black Hills
of South Dakota, and a partnership in adventure was born.

After lots of planning and support from UMM and the Parkers
Prairie community, the first journey took place May 12
through 16, 2003. "It is hard to put into words what we feel
has happened over the course of these five days. Words are
by far inadequate, but many times we have summed it up as
simply (or unsimply) "magic." We have watched kids grow.
They have learned cooperation, new friendships, responsibility,
and that they can do far more than they ever felt possible." (Marlene Schoeneck, May 2003).